Daily Lessons for Teaching Beware of Pity

Lesson 1

Objective: Introduction and Pages 1 through 34.
In the book's first section, the reader meets Anton Hofmiller, the main character, a military lieutenant stationed in Austria. While his military career essentially was forced on him, he takes it seriously and feels it is important to bring honor to his regiment, his position and himself personally. He is also extremely concerned about how others see him and is careful to avoid embarrassment. In addition, his upbringing has taught him that part of being honorable is to be polite and behave properly in society. This lesson focuses on the concept of honor, particularly the role it plays in Hofmiller's life.

1. Small Group Discussion: One aspect of Hofmiller's commitment to honor and duty is his strict adherence to proper behavior, as seen, for example, in his visit to thank Kekesfalva for the dinner invitation. How do our social norms today differ from...